Applied Food Sciences invests in and partners with KÄÄPÄ Biotech to launch organic mushroom extracts

Image courtesy of Applied Food Sciences.

Applied Food Sciences Inc. (AFS; Kerryville, TX) has announced an equity investment and partnership with Finland-based KÄÄPÄ Biotech, which specializes in fungi cultivation and research. AFS explains that this strategic partnership will expand the company’s primarily botanical portfolio to include Nordic-grown functional mushroom extracts that can be used in foods, beverages, and dietary supplements. These include six organic powdered mushroom extracts: Lion's Mane, Reishi, Cordyceps, Chaga, Shiitake, and Maitake.

"We felt that we could strategically add value to KÄÄPÄ's unique functional mushroom supply chain," said Loretta Zapp, CEO of AFS, in a press release. "We are working on enhancing functionality as well as bringing greater awareness and access to the market."

According to the press release, KÄÄPÄ’s extracts are made from mushroom fruiting bodies, and free of excipients or grain fillers. They are also standardized to primary active compounds to produce optimal bioavailability. Additionally, the company boasts that Finland is among the best places to grown clean and healthy mushrooms.

"Finland has the cleanest air and cleanest water ever measured in the world," says Eric Puro, CEO and co-founder of KÄÄPÄ Biotech, in a press release. "Mushrooms are strong bio-accumulators, so when we grow them, it's very important that their environment is clean."

AFS says it is working with KÄÄPÄ to supply ingredients that are USDA-certified organic, GRAS, and third-party tested for purity. “Testing with third-party labs is key to many of our customers. Building trust starts with verifying the product's safety, efficacy, and purity,” says Zapp. “In addition to quality, a lot of the allure for AFS to KÄÄPÄ is their transparency and ability to tell the whole story."

KÄÄPÄ already claims it can trace every one of its mushrooms from spore to extract. “The closer we can get to full transparency, the better we're all going to be,” says Puro, in a press release. “Everything we do, we want to share with our customers."